


The Monster

by SynapticFirefly



Category: Codename: Kids Next Door
Genre: F/M, Minor Violence, Psychological Drama, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-01-08 21:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1137576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SynapticFirefly/pseuds/SynapticFirefly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"No one lasted very long as my battle partner," Numbuh 274's limpid blue eyes rove hungrily over her. "Are you going to be the next one I break?" "We'll find out, won't we?" 274/362</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 01

**A/N:** Another Eminem/Rihanna duet fic for these two. Part of the _Love the Way You Lie_ verse. Kinda.

 **Warnings:** Borderline abusive pre-relationship, err... so I don't condone it. Butt-kicking.

 **Status:** Completed on its own. I can always add more chapters in the future.

 **Other:** Title and lyrics belong to _Eminem ft. Rihanna - The Monster_ (Aftermath/Interscope)

* * *

**The Monster**

She was thrown so far off the mat that she landed on a completely separate one _ten feet away_ and howled when she fell on her shoulder hard. This boy… no, _commander_ couldn't be human. Not with how easily he grabbed her flying kick and tossed her like a rag doll. Hiding a whimper, unfocused brown eyes saw the bright spotlights of the Moonbase gym dance around. Experience on the field told her that she was experiencing extreme disorientation. Solution: reorient herself and _run_.

But giving up wasn't an option. Not when the stakes were so high. With great effort, she managed to roll her already sore body over until she fell onto on her stomach, which earned another gasp of pain, and struggled to get up on bruised arms.

That was when a shoe stepped onto her back ever so gently, it was obviously an _insult_ , and pushed her back down onto the mat. Teeth grinding together, there was no energy left for her to try and get back up at this rate.

He _knew_ this.

Her battle partner leaned forward, adding more weight down on his boot until he heard her whimper in pain. And then, just as the pressure was almost too much for her, the weight disappeared, and in its place she found a warm palm rest against the bruised mark. Fingers curled around the creases of her training shirt almost in apology.

_Almost._

"No one lasted very long as my battle partner," he murmured. She could feel Numbuh 274's limpid blue eyes rove over her prone form. Having absolute power over an opponent must be his ultimate high because his words were elated and rumbling with pleasure. "Are you going to be the next one I _break_?"

"We'll… find out, won't we?" Cheek pressed against the rough blue mat, she growled out her defiance to one of his sneakers. That was the only part of him she could see while pinned, but it was just enough. She hated anything that was a part of him indiscriminately.

His shoes disappeared and the world shifted when she was turned onto her back again. Now she had a first class seating to the insipid smile of his handsome face that got closer when he knelt down. There was hardly a scratch on him aside from the busted lip. She was proud of that regardless.

Almost as if he could read her thoughts, 274 lewdly licked the dry blood of his split lip and brushed a knuckle against a similar mark on her temple, which was already blooming in an ugly blue and purple. She flinched from the stinging pain that came with it and that made him smile.

_I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed._

* * *

An important event called the _Battle Partner Lottery_ came once a month and would continue _every_ month afterwards until everyone was partnered up for mandatory training. After the rest of the sectors flailed and ran the two times Moonbase had been attacked by the more competent teenagers and Sector V saving the day by barely the skin of their teeth, the big kids upstairs had enough. Something had to be done.

Except the _Battle Partner Lottery_ was quickly becoming something of a farce when it came to someone like their beloved Supreme Leader. Word on Moonbase when she first arrived was that Numbuh 274 was a different person when you fought him. Notorious for never pulling his punches when he engaged the battlefield, why would he do the same while training?

That made him a dangerous enemy, but also a vicious battle partner for the weak-hearted. Six months since the _Battle Partner Lottery_ started Numbuh 274 always ended up back in queue for a new randomized partner. Because of that whispers began to spread like wildfire egged on by his horrified ex-partners. _They can't keep up/there's no breaks/he scares them/he's relentless_ … sometimes these whispers blended into something almost inhuman until everyone on Moonbase was certain that he changes his partners for the worst.

They go in eager like the children they are, bouncing and boasting that they're the battle partner of _Numbuh 274 himself_ and then leave fearful and demanding a transfer to someone else.

And that was what they were: _rumors_. Ask anyone on Global Command and they'd sing romantic sonnets in 274's name. He was friendly, helpful, a guiding force that kept the Kids Next Door alive and thriving. His ex-partners were just bitter, they'd say, because they weren't _strong enough/fast enough/smart enough_ to keep up with their beloved Supreme Leader.

If that wasn't enough for you, then meet him and see for yourself, they'd say. You would be _dazzled_ by his boyish smile and his smooth dulcet voice that spoke of power and protection. Why would you fear someone who looked and acted like he cared about you?

Because he was good at what he did. He was _dangerous_ in his charisma. Beware.

* * *

One hit, two hit, every successive bit of contact was countered with a smugness that only sought to infuriate her more. He was immune to her acupuncture tactics which was designed to work on the soft bellies of the nonathletic adults and lazy teenagers. There was just not enough force to do more than bruise the flesh of his strong stomach. It was not enough to _faze_ him let alone incapacitate.

He was tough and _fast_. What he couldn't dodge from her destabilizing touch, he made up for it in raw power, using her momentum against her by grabbing a hold whenever she drew close and never letting go like a well-trained police dog.

And when he did, it was because he was _playing_ with her. That pissed her off even more which made her attacks sloppy and desperate. He knew this because his grin grew with each dodge but, eventually, he had enough of her fancy spy moves.

Grabbing her left arm hard, she shouted in alarm when he twisted her around until she exposed her vulnerable back to him and kept it there by the unnatural angle he trapped her arm in. He pushed her arm in warning until she had no choice but remain deathly still and welcome him into her personal space again whether she liked it or not.

He _had_ to be human. She could feel the strong thrum of his chest pressed against her back. Then again, she supposed _animals_ could do the same thing. Animals and even _monsters_.

A hot breath bled into her damp golden hair and caused her to shiver. "Concede." She can feel his lips quirk up into another smirk against her ear. Why he enjoyed messing with her like this she did not know. _Could_ not know. He was the older one. Maybe something else drove him to intimacy. Maybe he just never had any real friends and he was touch starved for affection.

She'd go on theorizing, but sympathy was extremely hard when the person in question was one pressure point away from breaking your arm.

He roughly grabbed her hair with his free hand and forced her head back into a hard tilt which caused her to gasp in pain. She was taking too long to answer. " _Concede._ " This time it was an _order_.

"Never."

He stole her next breath by pulling her hair until she was practically breathing into his neck from an unnatural angle, but she would not relent. Every moment spent with him meant he couldn't rough up another operative again. This was like another mission, another failure and she was under the microscope again of the enemy. He was going to learn first hand that withstanding physical interrogation was the bread and butter of KND espionage.

Or maybe he _did_ know and he was _enjoying_ this.

The hand in her hair lessened and those rough fingers ran through her tangled strands with a gentleness you expected from the Supreme Leader. "Good girl," he pressed his lips against the side of her temple and let out silent puffs of air. He was _laughing_. "Expected nothing less…" he squeezed into her arm again, causing her to stand on her tiptoes to relieve the pressure. "…from an espionage agent." A quiet cry of pain left her lips when he nudged her arm again. Where he learned this technique she wanted to know… and use it against him.

She would last longer than the others, he probably could already tell.

He finally released her and watched as she fell boneless onto the mat with a soft grunt. And when he pounced on what he believed was the final victory, Rachel flipped onto her back and kicked him hard in the stomach. Stumbling back in surprise, he watched her with something akin to excitement as she curled her legs toward her chest before she kicked up into a standing position…

…and roundhouse kicked him right in the jaw.

* * *

That was where it all began, really. Orders from the top downsized the espionage division on Earth in order to reinforce security on Moonbase. Veteran operatives were needed more than ever because Sector V couldn't play the sung heroes all the time.

Numbuh 86 had been joyous that her superior was finishing the paperwork necessary for the permanent transfer to Global Command. Some of this paperwork included an entry for Numbuh 362's number into the _Battle Partner Lottery_ queue for she knew no one on base that she was comfortable partnering with. Fanny had already partnered with Numbuh 60 _months_ ago.

Why not leave it to chance? Fanny almost dropped her entire lunch tray in horror when Rachel made note of this just as they sat down.

"Please, Numbuh 362, for the love of Rainbow Monkeys everywhere _find a partner!_ " Rachel jumped in alarm. Fanny had grabbed her spork with both hands and her green eyes began to waver in unshed tears. "Do it before ye end up with _Numbuh 274_!"

She was so loud, almost half the cafeteria paused and the other half instantly made a break for it lest their Supreme Leader himself overheard her. Rumors were already well set into the urban legend that came with living in such a large base of operations. Overactive imaginations of a bunch of children can make the rumors seem like Numbuh 274 had supersonic hearing or something.

How ridiculous.

"So he's a disciplined fighter. That's a _good thing_ , Fanny," Rachel stressed slowly and pried her fingers away from the red head's death-like grip. "I just _know_ I'm going to get soft up here on Moonbase. I'm just not built to look down at Earth from the opposite end of the transmission screen! I have to be down there in the dirt doing spy work. And if our Supreme Leader can keep me from going mad, I'd be _honored_ to be picked as his battle partner."

"You say that now, Numbuh 362, but you watch," Numbuh 5 coolly slipped into their table and idly enjoyed a sucker, overhearing their conversation. "All that time out of contact with Global Command the last year or so is gonna bite you right on the butt. Even _Numbuh 5_ don't wanna dance with 274. He's _hardcore_. Ask 60 over there how his _butt's_ still recovering from the beat down 274's given him months ago."

Numbuh 60 turned in his seat when someone mentioned his name and he stood up. "You talking to me?!" Almost forgetting that Patton hardly had an inside voice, Rachel winced. "Numbuh 274's _ruthless_. Back on base we tell our cadets stories about him to get them moving their lazy keesters! He got me right on the tail, he did. I was in the ER for _two weeks_. Luckier than Numbuh 32 at least. He needed a butt transplant afterwards!"

Fanny shivered. "Aye… an' he's no gentleman to the girls either. Poor Numbuh 47. She was never the same afterwards. I dunna even want to talk about what happened to _me_."

Rachel lowered her spork and looked at the meatball sandwich on her plate. If she _was_ unlucky enough to get picked, she might not want to fatten up on this kind of food so close to training. "Is he really that brutal to his battle partners?"

"Hafta be when yer the best operative evar," Fanny was literally trembling in her seat. "When you fight with Numbuh 274, he _really_ means it."

Patton nodded and smacked his fist hard against his palm. "He's hard. _Nintendo Hard_. And he's made a lot of people cry too. That's why nobody wants to spar with him and those who willingly come back for more are crazy anyways! Like _Numbuh 1_."

"Oooh yeah, Numbuh 1 loves Nintendo Hard, baby," Abby grinned, "but even Numbuh 1 knows that he should only train with 274 on his best day. As a permanent battle partner? Yeah right! His girlfriend would beat _us_ black and blue if she saw her little _Nigie_ covered in battle scars every month."

And when they announced this month's lottery later in the day, everyone gasped and backed away from Numbuh 362 when she saw her number paired up with 274's on the jumbo screen. She thought she heard Numbuh 5 in the background whistle in sympathy before hightailing it.

"362."

She immediately whirled around to find her Supreme Leader hovering just behind her, thoughtfully rubbing his chin as he concentrated on the monitor. She just didn't understand. He was just _oozing_ friendliness. Not _boogeyman_.

Chad cemented her impression of him by looking down and smiling at her so boyishly it stole her breath away. "Looks like we're _partners_." He emphasized the last word so intimately, Rachel had to quickly look around and hope no one was within hearing range.

"I… yes," she instantly composed herself and saluted him. "I'll do my best to make sure you are at peak condition, sir!"

"We'll see." Perhaps she was just imagining the darkening of his eyes and the sudden sharpness of his smile. It might just be because Numbuh 86 and 60 scared her with stories about how ruthless he was.

He was their _leader_. He would never _intentionally_ hurt them.

* * *

Their first spar was a one-sided affair, but it was hardly as bad as the rumors made it out to be. She knew she was going to feel some of her bruises in the morning, but she fought in worse conditions with much more dangerous opponents.

And when she somehow managed to get him on his back best _two out of three_ , Chad smiled up at her from his place on the floor.

"You're good," he said and she should have seen this beforehand. He wasn't even breathing irregularly from the hour long session. "How about we raise the stakes a bit?"

Looking back, she should have sensed the deception a mile away. A lesson to be learned: never let a handsome smile ruin your sense of vigilance. She was going to learn this the hard way.

Chest heaving, Rachel offered a hand to him which he took, but didn't use to lift himself up. Instead, she felt his thumb brush against the light callouses of her fingers, a relic of her days as a _traceuse_ swinging over railings and jumping over walls. She turned pink and it had nothing to do with exertion. "Sir?"

"Everyone's too scared to spar with me regularly," he brushed a bit of stray blond hair from his limpid blue eyes. It was so charming, she was immediately disarmed by that action alone. No wonder Numbuh 10 gushed about him everyday in the rec room. "I figured hey, maybe if we make a game out of this you're not gonna run off as quickly as the last one."

Rachel tilted her head and wondered if this was his way of saying he was lonely. That was what she would do if their roles were reversed. There were very few people on base she was familiar with. Her old friends were back in their treehouse on Earth, probably blissfully uncaring that she had gone underground the last year.

She reaffirmed her hold on him. "I won't run," she promised with that famous conviction that earned her many classified missions back in the day.

He offered her his pinky, the most ultimate of all promises to be made in the KND. "Swear on it?"

She should have seen this coming, this _manipulation_. He was far better at disguising his true intentions, even more so than _her_ , the _spy prodigy_. And when you were dealing with an operative who was notoriously whispered to be the best in the KND, they were just as much as a liability as they were an ally.

This Numbuh 274 was _dangerous_. Even more so because he _knew_ this.

Not realizing the implications of this promise, she blindly gave him her pinky and intertwined it with his. "I swear." _Blind_. She was absolutely blind to the real 274 within. The one who was ruthless and manipulative and pulled all the strings in order to get what he wanted was beneath that friendly surface just waiting to pop out and pull her under.

He _knew_ she abided by the KND honor code. This was him exploiting it to its fullest.

The first term of their promise happened when he suddenly tossed her onto her back. Before she could even catch her breath, he was on her so fast she barely blinked. Fear suddenly gripped her when strong fingers pressed hard into her stomach through her training shirt. This was nothing like the spar they had before. This one was _serious_.

Something changed in 274. His eyes were dark and lilting along with his smile which was no longer friendly. It was twisted and playful and she felt true fear for the first time because it was directed at her and her only.

"You know, you look kind of _pretty_ when you're afraid," he noted casually and pressed harder each time she took a breath. Realizing his intention, she held her breath as long as she could. There was a sinking feeling in her gut that he _enjoyed_ that kind of power over someone. "First term of the game: betting pool. Every time we spar…" he eased up a bit with a quicksilver smile and she could finally take a few shuddering gasps of air. "…we _bet_. Last one standing wins. It can be any bet of course. You can even _bet_ in breaking the KND promise, but I doubt it. You don't seem the type to lack a _spine_."

In a burst of anger, she clipped away the offending arm with hand snap and was rewarded with a hand to the _throat_ instead. She cried out when he squeezed, not enough to hurt, but enough to scare her into _thinking_ he would.

He tutted and spoke as if they were having a tea party instead of threatening to choke her to death. "Very quick, Numbuh 362. I like that. Maybe you'll be different from the others. Crybabies, all of them. That's what you get when you train child soldiers. I'm just the perfect one."

She could barely wrap her fingers around his wrist and tried defending again, struggling under his grip. His grin only grew the more she glared up at him, refusing to listen to him. When it came to _this_ 274, doing the right thing seemed to be the _wrong_ one.

"You're not even shedding a _tear_ ," His eyes glittered with interest. "You have no idea how happy this makes me. Even _Numbuh 1_ flipped out the first time. He thought I was joking around. Probably still thinks so," he practically climbed on top of her now, heightening the illusion that he was _really_ going to hurt her. "Not you. You look a little smarter than him. Do you think I'm playing around? Or do you think I'm some kind of _Nintendo hardcore boogeyman_ like the others?"

So he _does_ have supersonic hearing.

She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't from the pressure against her throat. The fingers retreated from their grip, but only just. Instead they brushed against the throbbing pulse of her throat as if drawing each of her heavy breathing to memory from touch alone. "I don't know what to believe," she finally gasped out. It was like he had two personalities. Which one was the real one she couldn't get a read from and reading people was part of being a KND spy.

That _scared_ her.

"A smart answer no matter what teachers say," and just like that, he was Supreme Leader Numbuh 274 again. Her fear was slowly subsiding when he tenderly massaged against the bruised sides of her throat to soothe the ache away. Whatever she did seemed to appease him.

Just like that, she was already _conditioned_ to follow his lead.

"And just think, you're doing a great service to the Kids Next Door offering yourself up like this. We can play as much as we want and never have to worry about our kids crying again. Isn't that right, Numbuh 362?"

 _Our kids._ Somehow he can make his intentions seem absolutely disgusting and _endearing_ at the same time. Her chest fluttered at the idea while the rest of her body burned from the rough treatment. She hadn't dealt with something so dangerous… ever.

He finally got up and left her on the mat. "See you next month, _Rachel_."

_And you think I'm crazy, well that's not fair._


	2. 02

Would it be considered betrayal to Global Command if she warned the female operatives ahead of time that 274 was _crazy_?

They forgave him for being a ruthless fighter, sure, but he was more than that. They didn't see what she saw in his most private moments... though to be fair, the only private thing she's seen with him was on the training mat.

In comparison to his wild smile in the gym, the one he gave to the operatives who reported to him was very... muted. _Concealed_. Like he was more inclined to do something else than deal with paperwork and clogged up popcorn machines.

She felt that similar staleness creep in the longer her stay on Moonbase was. No field missions, no danger. Just sitting on a chair and telling the sectors back home ' _good work!_ ' or ' _get moving before adults start enforcing shorter recesses!_ '. If it wasn't for 274's viciousness as a training partner, Rachel was pretty sure she would have started fattening up from all the meatball sandwiches in the cafe and nothing to show for it.

People weren't surprised that she lasted one month as 274's battle partner. She had a real decent reputation before enrolling into Global Command and, at the very least, it would have been an insult as a veteran operative to not last at least one horrible training session without crying about it like the regulars.

The second month people were impressed that she hadn't entered in a transfer for another partner. The third month she was in awe for sticking around the longest. But by the _fourth month_ , people were starting to wonder if 274 was just going easy on her or something.

And that was _far_ from the truth. Just because she can hide her limping didn't mean the bruises weren't there. She concealed the soreness of her limbs and kept her mouth shut hiding a wince whenever she sat down on a bruised lower back. It had nothing to do with proving she was tough in front of her fellow operatives or showing off that she can last as 274's battle partner.

It was because every time she expressed discomfort, 274 would just smile at her. It wasn't that fake friendly smile that everyone (including her at one point) were accustomed to. No, this was a fleeting smirk, that flash of satisfaction in those blue eyes that to an extent, knew she was feeling him from the marks all over her.

Hopefully, he can feel _her_ just as much. Because she was going to do more than take what he can dish out. She had already set up many appointments with trainers down in Arctic Base, among those included her former hand-to-hand combat instructor that specialized in reflex counters. It would be nice to touch base with her one last time before her former mentor's upcoming decommissioning.

At the very least, she had a _hobby_. It just involved a battle of fists and wits with the so-called charismatic leader of the Kids Next Door. In 274's case, the battle continued on well past training. Even on the floor, he was figuratively pulling on her pigtails when he shouldn't be.

Must be nice having all that power and control.

She was currently sitting directly in front of the Supreme Leader throne running a thorough diagnostic at a nearby console. It was part of the bet she had lost for the third time. Instead of working down in the Archives like she was supposed to, she ended up spending most of her time on the command deck running errands.

Imagine it: Numbuh 362, one of the most notorious of espionage agents, earning the most accolades and the highest rate of mission successes so far in her career branch was doing _pizza runs_ for the Supreme Leader.

Her superior didn't mind seeing as the preteen was already over heels in love with the Supreme Leader. He played to 358's infatuation with him by sweetly asking if he can steal 362 to help the workload topside. He just had this effect on people. _Especially with the girls._

Rachel understood why, except for the fact that she was now partially immune to most of his charms. When you've dealt with a guy like that both on and off the training grounds, you had to ignore that smile lest you got your butt handed to you.

She could hear one of the female yeomen sputter and gush around 274 while he signed off on her paperwork. It didn't help Rachel's mood much that he was actively enjoying the attention and egging the girl on for more compliments. Rachel grimaced and stuck her tongue out at the monitor. If only that poor yeoman knew what she knew. She'd be heading for the hills from that wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Oh!" she could hear the yeoman start to fuss over their commander. "Is that a _bite_ mark on your wrist?!"

Rachel wanted to pat herself on the back for not even showing a single twitch of amusement by that statement. She did idly lick one of her incisors at the memory. It wasn't even a fair match. He had pounced on her before she could finish her stretching and, in a very embarrassing wrestle around the mat, he had accidentally grabbed her chest, (well, lack thereof), and was rewarded with a real smart chomp on his arm for the trouble.

It must be a real good mark if the yeoman's complaints meant anything. She was kind of proud of this.

She couldn't see it, but she knew 274 was just laying on the charm like the manipulator he was. "Ah, it's no big. Just an overzealous Rainbow Monkey I trounced during a mission to the island. She was a _real_ ugly one." His smug tone was just _bleeding_ into her back. "I had to get a rabies shot and everything just in case."

Her stylus snapped in two when the girl began to coo. "A _shot_? You're so brave, sir!"

_I'm gonna kill him._

The girl departed just after Rachel hid the stylus pieces in her pocket and started to make plans in her head. Go to Arctic Base after shift, bring back a Yeti, _release it into 274's office..._

Her spine stiffened when she felt a hand on the back of her chair. There was a shuffle of armor and a familiar heady scent that instantly distracted her from her place at the console.

"You're quite the worker," She could practically feel 274's breath against her ear. "Keep it up and I might even promote you. It was really nice of you to take on most of my paperwork for this month, 362."

She answered through her teeth. "I am honored to help you, sir." Up until she became 274's battle partner, she's never met anyone who was physically this close to her outside of combat. Heck, she couldn't even say that she rubbed shoulders with a best friend. Her time in the KND was a very lonely one. As it should be for an espionage agent.

The fact that it had to be _him_ who became the first foreign contact into her personal space both infuriated and despaired her.

He clapped her on the shoulder and kept it there, knowing of the bruise he inflicted on her a few weeks ago was slowly healing. She managed to twitch in pain, just a fraction, but it was enough for him to smile and win the round again.

"I could _smell_ the smugness on you back there you know," he carried in a very low whisper meant only for her. "Now you know how I get when you feel my bruises on _you_."

The shiver this time wasn't from the bruises. Shrugging away his hand, she got up from her seat and handed him the datapad marked and ready for signing. "Anything else I can assist you with, sir, before I head back to the Archives?"

She had a full view of that _smile_. "Oh I might. You're very speedy with the paperwork. I might just be tempted to keep you on for another month."

"With all due respect sir, my place is in the Archives." _And well far away from you._ It would be a snow cone in Father's home before she'd allow him to demote the rank she spent blood and sweat for and make her his personal yeoman. The threatening look in her eyes said as much.

He made a show by dramatically sighing. "It's like you don't want to spend time with me, Numbuh 362."

Oh, he _was_ spending time with her. Every wince she had to suppress made it very clear that 274 would always be at the back of her thoughts, that twinge of realization that really, this soreness was _his_ fault. Her occasional limp was _his fault_.

And all this friendly touching was really setting her nerves on fire. Not even _Fanny_ spent this much contact with her. As if reading her thoughts, he gave her a professional pat on the lower back and this time Rachel couldn't suppress the pained groan that came with it.

Numbuh 274's eyes were so alive and possessive that 362 quickly frog marched off the command deck. "Oh and Numbuh 362?"

She took a second to control herself before turning back around.

"Your request to visit the Arctic Base has been shelved until further notice," he said cheerfully. "We're just _so short_ on staff… I hope you don't mind just using the Moonbase gym for training instead."

Her eyes momentarily widened before they narrowed. _He knew._ In fact, he was rubbing it in that he knew with that smug grin and the cool folding of his arms. _You're not going anywhere._

"I suppose it'll have to suffice then," she replied neutrally. "My technique has become so rusty, I just thought I'd have time to train with better fighters."

That fleeting, murderous flash of annoyance on his face brought a skip to her step for the rest of her shift.

That is, until her supervisor called her in and proudly promoted her back upstairs… as Numbuh 274's personal yeoman.

* * *

"I'm sorry!" she chased after Numbuh 10 throughout the Leda Deck. "I didn't apply for that stupid position!" What 274 had done… he practically caused her to end up on the blacklist for every female operative who spent months vying for the position of 274's yeoman. At this rate, she will NEVER be invited to another sleepover again!

_I'm going to kill him._

Belle whirled around and poked her squarely on the chest. This time Rachel did whine out loud and clutched the bruise through the fabric. Why was everyone _poking_ her in the wrong places today?! "You know how hard I spent climbing through those disgusting hamster tunnels and cleaning them up just to stick myself on top of that list?! Interview after interview-"

"I'm sorry!" Apologies would never be enough. "I _begged_ my supervisor to reconsider, I really did." The Archives were a boring place to work, but it was better than being the ire of the entire _female population_ a part of Global Command.

She had hoped that she could appeal to 10's sense of compassion, but that went down the drain when one operative overheard and decided to accuse 362 of stealing the position as well. Before she could blink a bunch of them started coming over and argue over each other until she had enough and stomped her foot down. "QUIET!"

Amazingly enough, they fell silent. "Listen, I didn't accept the promotion willingly, but KND protocol eleventy-seven point two states that any promotions from the active Chain of Command must be enforced at all costs. It's out of my hands, guys."

At least the deck became quiet again. In the face of cold reasoning and logic, she managed to somehow temper away the heat of their anger into a simmer and most of them begrudgingly dispersed. What hurt her the most was the look of betrayal Belle shot at her before walking away completely.

Slow clapping from around the corner caused Rachel to growl before she forced her anger down and turn.

Numbuh 274 was leaning against the wall, clipboard under his arm. It was obvious what he was here for. "It's like herding cats, isn't it?" he grinned. "Welcome to my world. It takes a special kind of person to control thousands of operatives. Bonus if they're attention deficit kids."

"Permission to speak freely sir."

He pulled away from the wall and sauntered over to her. "Permission granted."

"If you don't fix something about Numbuh 10's promotion, I'm gonna…" Hurting him more would just be a _reward_ than a punishment. The appropriate threat fell short as she tried to think of one. "I'm gonna…"

"You're gonna…?" If he thought that lilting smile was going to affect her, he was way off his game. Nevertheless, he pulled out the clipboard and pressed it against her chest. She barely looked at the paperwork there because she knew exactly what it was and why he was here.

He wanted to personally be there as she willingly signed over herself to him.

That was when the appropriate threat hit her. "You're not allowed to touch me."

Numbuh 274 raised an eyebrow. "I had permission in the first place?" Still, he seemed to pause at her words, blue eyes taking in every inch of her as if he was working on figuring her next move.

It was unnerving, but she would not falter. "I will make your life a _living nightmare_ if you make me your personal yeoman," she said sternly. "There's nothing to gain promoting me. I'm already paying off this month's bet with the paperwork already. You…" Rachel really forced down a sigh, "you already _own_ me. For this month only." If she didn't tack that on she was sure he'd be a pleased bit of nothing.

"I suppose…" Much to Rachel's surprise, he changed the subject to something more professional, "you handled the mob extremely well."

"It was hardly a _mob_ ," she shrugged and sighed for real this time, "but it was getting out of hand. Reasoning and logic is extremely important for an espionage agent."

Numbuh 274 nodded in agreement and then thoughtfully looked at the light fixtures above. "Prevents you from being emotionally compromised while under cover."

"Exactly." How strange that this was an amicable conversation. It wasn't flirting like he did with other operatives like her nor was this the gym conversation… which usually involves biting and punching. The more they just stood there looking at each other the more the animosity seemed to simmer away. Numbuh 274 just seemed very… friendly. Like co-worker friendly.

It appealed to her sense of compromise. "Look," she took a deep breath, "whatever this 'thing' going on between us is, don't let the other operatives suffer to get an edge in. I'm willing to _play_ , if you're willing to play _fair_." Numbuh 10, despite her infatuation with 274, really did work hard in order to look good for the yeoman interview. To pull that rug out from under her was wrong.

Chad was silent until he rubbed the bottom of his chin. "I suppose I can pull some strings… maybe give _Belle_ the promotion she deserves," he took another step into her personal space again and, quite frankly, she was so used to it that it didn't bother her anymore. "I guess I can accept your compromise. Have to seal the deal though. That's business of course."

She blinked. "Business?"

Smiling wolfishly, he leaned forward. "How about we kiss on it?"

Rachel turned a furious red and slammed the clipboard right over his head. Chad howled and pressed a hand into his hair. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?! NO- _NO_ -!" he snatched back the clipboard when it was obvious she was going to defend herself with it again. "You've lost ALL clipboard holding privileges you crazy son of-!"

"I'm not _kissing_ you!" she managed to spit out in a panic. "I-I-I-I-I…"

"Why not?" he challenged. "It's just a kiss! No big deal!"

She wished she had the clipboard because she wanted to hit him with it again. "T-that's not… it's not _just_ a kiss. It's a _first_ kiss! I'm not giving it to _you_!" While she worked with a rational efficiency, Rachel was not above the thought of romance and other girly things.

While she stuttered and bumbled around, Chad was rubbing his fingers over the crown of his head and checking to see if there was blood. There was going to be a _bump_ , that was for sure. "Oh please. Enough of that fairy tale junk. A kiss is a kiss," he grumbled, "and it _feels_ good. That's the most important thing."

"That's not the point!" And really, she wouldn't know if it felt good. She didn't even give _platonic_ kisses let alone romantic ones. Was it even romance? Chad just usually eyed her up like she was a hot fudge sundae. That sounded _nothing_ like candlelit dinners or walks on the beach like they dramatized in movies and TV.

Numbuh 274 wasn't the most clever operative in the KND for nothing. "You can at least kiss this bump you gave me," he pointed at the crown of his head. "The _least_ you can do."

She fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Quickly looking around, 362 hesitantly pulled his collar down until they were at eye level and really contemplated just hitting him again and risk the brig for injuring a superior officer. Trembling with embarrassment, she leaned forward to press her lips against the bump there. Compromise. She needed to _compromise_.

That was when he snapped his head up and caught her lips with his.

Two weeks after he filed Numbuh 10's promotion as his personal yeoman was when the second bump on his head finally swelled down and 362 started talking to him again.

Because instead of yeoman, he promoted 362 to _Global Tactical Officer_ , which pissed off another group of applicants who spent _years_ fighting for the promotion.

"You just _enjoy_ making everyone mad at me," she snarled and smashed shoulders with him before moving her things into the office next to his.

His passing smirk said it all.

* * *

She didn't take the bait over which one can pull the most ab crunches in five minutes because it was obvious who was going to win.

It was even more obvious that he wanted to separately train just to rile her up. That, or he was really trying to fish for compliments on his physique by showing off what made his abs more finely tuned than a _xylophone_.

No combat today. They couldn't afford to be sore and off their A-game so close to raiding the annual _Adult Villain Convention for the Exceedingly Sooper Evil Members_. Instead, Numbuh 274 called it their 'downtime' which consisted of keeping themselves limber without stress and licking whatever old wounds they've sustained from a couple weeks ago.

Honestly, it was one of her favorite days. She found peace doing yoga for an hour, even with Chad snarking that she was such a girl… which she _was_. Unless he _really_ thought she looked like an ugly Rainbow Monkey. Then she refused talk to him for the rest of the session.

Curling into a rabbit pose, she saw her battle partner doing pull ups from behind and building a good sweat doing it. Some of the female operatives had stopped jump roping or skipping on the balance beam just to _watch_ and Rachel didn't know why until after a few minutes.

Numbuh 274 was just _oozing_ confidence and power during his workouts. He was in that zone, controlling everything from the staccato of the rise and fall of his shoulders over the bar to the cadence of his _breathing_. Ruefully, she had to admit that it was an admiring sight.

He hopped off the bar, caught her staring, and grinned which caused her to topple and roll onto her back. Scoffing, she rolled back around and tried again. Yoga was to center oneself and she wasn't doing it justice when her thoughts were focused on Numbuh 274 and his obvious grandstanding in front of the everyone.

The girls clapped and cheered when Chad slipped into a round of one-armed push-ups, but Rachel had already wandered off looking for a punching bag. She needed more strength of force in order to penetrate that ridiculous wall on his stomach called his _abs_. It felt like a good time to practice it too.

"You're really working that punching bag hard, Numbuh 362."

Kicking the old beat up bag for good measure, Rachel started re-bandaging her knuckles again before smiling. "Hello Numbuh 30c."

Grinning back, Kenny tried his hand at punching the bag and ended up hurting his hand for the trouble. "Ow. This is why us science officers play with Yipper cards than punching bags. They don't give us broken fingers!"

She laughed because really, Kenny didn't even make the bag _move_ from that punch. "It's because you're using too much force from your wrist," she offered helpfully and held up her arm. "Use your arm and shoulder to drive it home. That way all that weight will distribute throughout your arm and it won't hurt as much."

"I'll definitely keep that in mind!" he grinned. "I could use all the help I can get. Especially since your battle partner is _Numbuh 274_. Must be tough I hear."

Understatement of the century. "I'm alive. I suppose that's important."

"Bet you have a lot of awesome stories," Kenny leaned against the side of the punching bag. "Wanna head down to _Lime Ricky's Bar_ after training? I could use a good pick-me-up myself."

Man, she really missed soda. "Actually that sounds…"

That was when the punching back tilted and Kenny went crashing onto the mat.

"There you are."

She blinked up at Chad in mild alarm. He purposefully pushed the punching bag in order to _humiliate_ Kenny. Her eyes followed the swaying of the bag in disbelief as it slowly rocked back to stillness. "Sorry to break up the fun, but both of you realize we have to get ready for the _Villain Convention_ right?"

Rachel moved to help Kenny up, but the sharp look in Chad's eyes caused her to stop and lock eyes with him in confusion. He was either in Supreme Leader mode or just _really_ angry for some reason. "Sir?"

"Aw, come on Chad," Kenny groaned and dusted himself off. "Everyone knows you're working 362 hard enough as it is. Give her a break, man."

She really wished he didn't bring her into this because Chad's eyes became dark and taunting, as if she was betraying him for some reason. "Is that so?" he accused her softly. "Do you think I'm overworking you, _Rachel?_ "

Why did he have to say her name like that? "No sir," she said stiffly. "If you are not at the top of your game then I am not doing my job." Once upon a time, she swore to him that she would keep him at his A-game. No matter what.

"See Numbuh 30c?" Chad switched from threatening to genial so quickly, she could only stand there stunned while he clapped her on the shoulder and drew her into his personal space. "There's a reason why she's my battle partner. I only accept the best on my team."

Was her cheeks burning? Must be the exertion. "Um… how about a rain check, Numbuh 30c? Maybe after the convention?"

Kenny flashed a wary glance at 274 before answering. "Err… maybe. We'll see." And just like that, he hightailed it faster than the Toiletnator on a toilet paper run.

"So what?" Rachel grumbled after a long moment. "I'm not allowed to have soda with anyone?"

"You'll get fat on soda," Chad purred and pinched her side before throwing a towel over his shoulders, "and your tummy is soft enough as it is."

Horrified, she poked her stomach and then snapped at his retreating back. "It's soft because it's _skin!_ NOT FAT!"

_I'm gonna kill him._


	3. 03

Her right arm was on _fire_.

The pain came fast and throbbing, distracting her long enough to miss his dropkick to the chest. The wind knocking out of her lungs, she gasped and bounced onto her back on the mat, clutching at how the muscles in her arm seemed to be twitching on its own.

"Interesting," Chad hovered from above, taking extreme interest at her shaking forearm, "did you sprain it?"

She flinched when he reached out for her, but it only served to make his grin stronger. " _Please._ We've been playing for how long? You don't want me to lick your little wounds. That hurts."

Wincing, Rachel tried to turn on her side and had no choice but to let him guide her back into a sitting position, cradling her arm. "I don't want you to make the injury worse." He could try to step on it or break it or...

"I may be ruthless, but I'm not an idiot," he growled and grabbed her by the jaw to look at him fully. "You're no good to me _crippled_."

Those brown eyes flashed at him. "Your bedside manner _sucks_."

That got him laughing, the sound sharp and unyielding. Before she could protest, he roughly picked her up and dragged her to a bench at a far side of the empty gym where a first aid kit was waiting.

She fleetingly wondered what their medical operatives thought having to refill their first aid kit every single week. Biting her lip, she tried not to make a sound when he pulled out a temporary splint and started wrapping her arm up.

"You're getting sloppy," he murmured, gazing at the splint before flickering those electric blue eyes back at her. "You've been stuck on that plateau for weeks now."

Plateau? Rachel glared at him, pretty sure she's been fighting at full strength for almost a half a year dealing with his petty behind. "I can't heal in five minutes, sir. You haven't been letting up in months!"

"Wrong," he gripped her injured wrist tightly, causing her shut her eyes hard and grit her teeth. "I've been holding back for awhile now."

* * *

 _Holding back._ She sat on her bed and, with a bound arm and a frustrated cry, she shoved everything on top of her dresser and then kicked the drawers. One of the steel frames gave under her shoe.

Just who did he think he was talking smack to her like that?! Holding back? _Holding back?!_ She gave her all and it wasn't enough?!

He was a monster. A true monster. She slid onto the floor and curled into a ball, tired and battered and angry.

"Her arm is sprained, sir," the medical examiner told the both of them when Chad hauled her to the ER sector, "and with unhealed bruises and cuts, in my opinion she's in no state to fight for at least a _month_. I may have to make it an order."

She wasn't going to let him win.

Numbuh 362 wasn't on the command deck just yet. Instead she was still in one of the small private cubicles for overnights examining herself in the full length mirror. He really let her have it.

Maybe this was why Fanny and the others ran after the first month, but crying and whining about it like them was just going to cement the fact that 274 was right. Worse, she would break the honor bound tradition of KND promises.

She ran bandaged fingers across the side of her throat and winced at the brilliant blue and purple bruise there. It was the product of a headlock that she fought and twisted around in before she managed to slip away.

He'd probably beam with pride if she walked in her traditional uniform like this. He had a kind of sick possession marking her and forcing her to reveal it to all about it. Not this time. Fishing out a turquoise turtleneck, she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

"So…" Abby began in the elevator and moved her hand away when Rachel flinched, "six month anniversary?"

Has it really been six months? It felt like an eternity to her. "You're not going to beg me to resign from the position, are you? Because I've heard enough of that from Fanny, Patton, _AND_ Nigel." They didn't understand the position she was in and, quite frankly, she dealt with worse pressure during her time as a spy.

Bruises were inconvenient, but Chad was no more than a cruel child like her, only while she hid her darker side with empathy and subterfuge, Chad simply didn't care and was proud of it. This was all just a game, a test of wills. She wasn't going to give in and let him go free reign on her kids.

 _Our kids_ , he corrected in her head, like some kind of parasite. She shook her head of his influence and smoothed out the wrinkles of her turtleneck.

"Numbuh 5 doesn't butt in. Just worried," she answered and tucked her red cap over her eyes. "Maybe you can ask him to lay off a bit. Numbuh 5 was there for your last physical and Numbuh 688 said if you don't start resting your arm up, you're gonna _lose_ it."

Rachel snorted. "I'll let him know," which was her typical bureaucratic answer for _'yeah right'_.

She nearly dropped her towel in alarm when he answered her. "Sure."

"Sure?" she repeated suspiciously, watching him pat down the sweat from his neck. They didn't spar today for some reason, which had already raised all sorts of warning flags. Maybe he really was a compassionate person and actually listened to their Chief Medical Operative for once.

"That's right," with a smug smile, he tossed his towel away and did his cool down stretches. "I'm giving you a month to relax. Go to a spa, enjoy a smoothie, eat a meatball sandwich."

"Are you making fun of me?!" she demanded when he laughed. "Maybe I should just get fat enough for you to use as a punching bag if you're going to act so blase about it."

He chuckled and started checking his communicator, almost completely ignoring her. " _Blase_? What eloquence. See, I can use ten dollar words too," he looked up. "You're not the only toy I've got."

Insulted, she walked over and shoved him hard. "I'm not your toy. I'm not _anyone's_ toy. And I won't let you use anyone else! You swore!"

Without warning, he leg-sweeped her. She let out a strangled gasp when she fell onto her back and right on the large bruise there. A soft cry of pain left her lips before he climbed on top of her and pinned her there, missing her bandaged arm completely. Thank Zero for small favors.

"I may be a monster, but I keep my promises," he told her sweetly and delighted in the way she snarled when he grabbed a fistful of her golden hair. "See… this one wants to play. I didn't coerce her into it. So she's gonna be my new playmate and you're just gonna have to deal with it while you fix your cute little self up."

She let out another whine of pain when he turned her head, just barely, and tsked at the blossoming bruise spiraling down her throat. "Yeah, you're not fit to play this month," he purred and, tentative at her flinch, lovingly traced the bruise with his fingers. "My poor little XO. If you weren't so jumpy all the time, I could take care of you more often."

"Stop that," she rolled her eyes and then closed them, tired of his mind games and gentle touches. It was seriously confusing and maybe that was the reason all along. "Since when did you ever actually cared about _anyone_? You know, like a human being?"

"When have _you_?" he challenged, blue eyes darkening. "You've got operatives who look up to you, sure, but they don't _know_ you. They see a polite smile and sweet words, but that's it. I've seen you in the darkness, when you're cornered and you snap like a wild animal. I wonder what they'd think if they knew you were actually a demon on the battlefield, with a cold ruthlessness I've ever had the pleasure of seeing."

Rachel flinched and with an explosion of anger, shoved him off. "I'm not like you! Don't you dare put me on the same level!"

He fell back comfortably on the floor and laughed madly. "Says KND's best spy! Two words, McKenzie: _Operation URSULA_."

Shaking in anger and guilt, she stormed out of the gym and decided a transfer was in order.

* * *

Operation: URSULA had been her greatest and most exhausting mission she had ever took in her career and Intelligence promised that it would be sealed up until the end. Numbuh 274 purposefully dragged it out of the mud to get a reaction. And it worked.

She did what she had to do that time. But she didn't act like a heartless shrew about it. She felt regret, but would have done it again, in the name of the KND.

What was one love lost when it prevented the cementing of an unholy villainous alliance that would have brought their very organization to its knees? At the cost of the only adult she ever really believed in, now destined to live forever alone from her 'traitorous' actions.

Chad bringing it up was a low blow. Too low. She leaned against the side of the elevator going down and curled into the corner, unable to shed tears when she had no more to give. She wasn't a monster. She _wasn't_.

Fate decided to be cruel. The elevator dinged once and opened itself to Numbuh 1, who relaxed on the opposite side as the elevator continued its descent. "You look terrible, Numbuh 362."

"Thanks," she said sourly and bumped the side of her head against the cool wall and then winced. She had forgotten the bruise there. "I think I've had enough of being Numbuh 274's battle partner."

Nigel glanced at her through his sunglasses and then stared at the glowing buttons. "You don't _sound_ like you've had enough."

"I'm not doing it because I'm tired," she admitted and folded her arms. "I'm doing it because I'm pissed off." Chad can crawl under her skin when he shouldn't be able to. It angered her more than anything. No one should influence her. She's fought far worse demons and somehow decided to dance with the devil himself.

"I know I've been telling you to resign," he drawled, "but that's only because I didn't realize how much you've got things under control. I was just worried about you. Even _I_ don't have the stamina to keep at it every week with Numbuh 274. He's hardcore."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Nintendo hardcore, I know." But, he was right. Operative morale has been at an all-time high the last few months and battle competency skyrocketed now that Chad was off the grid on the Battle Lottery. If she quit now, he'll just go back into the fray and then everyone would suffer again.

There was also the promise of always being there. She may not like Chad, but she always kept her word. This was the consequence of her naivety.

Unbeknownst to them, their Supreme Leader watched their video feed the whole ride down. His electric blue eyes seemed to flicker unnaturally against the light, a violet ring emerging around the irises.

* * *

Chad hadn't been kidding. While Rachel spent her time recuperating, his replacement toy came in the form of Numbuh 12 who, despite such an angelic look, was capable on the battlefield. Leaning warily on the bench during combat demonstration, she watched as the older girl and Chad danced on the mat with flips and punches that made everyone cheer. Something curled unpleasantly in her gut the way Chad kept smiling at his 'temporary' partner, but what really got her blood boiling was how playful the whole match was.

No, not playful. Numbuh 12 was playful and enjoying the match because her Supreme Leader was pulling his punches, but with every connected hit that didn't knock him off his feet like it should, there was a tightness in those blue eyes.

It was like forcing a pianist to play a slow Twinkle Little Star for a giant concert hall when he wanted to go full prestissimo _Flight of the Bumblebee_.

_I've been holding back._

Why was he holding back now when he could just throttle her and get this over with? Her eyes narrowed at the way he moved. Sloppy, almost lazy in technique.

 _Her_ technique.

She began to shake in anger. Was this his way of telling her that was how she fought him?!

He knew how piss her off, but she knew the art of subterfuge. If he wanted to play by the rules of manipulation, he shouldn't have picked a veteran if he wanted to win.

Her face blank, she got up from her seat and left the gym, uncaring of any gaze following her retreat. No, it wasn't a retreat. She had a month to recuperate. Let him play with his toys like the spoiled child he was.

Because when she came back, she was going to drag him kicking and screaming into manhood.

* * *

She press the doorbell and waited until her old combat teacher's little brother answered and looked at her in disinterest. "What you want?"

"I'm looking for your brother," she said.

With a roll of his eyes and a grumble about doing this and that, he shouted over his shoulder. "Do I look like his damn secretary? Hey! Huey! Some girl's lookin' for you!"

She was led to the living room and sat down on a very squishy couch. A boy around her age walked down the stairs and met her on the other side of the living room, his serious gaze calm and mature when he asked his former student what she wanted of him now.

"Let me get this straight," he said coolly and folded his arms, "you want to relearn urban-styled fighting just so you can put the beat down on your Supreme Leader?"

"To put it bluntly," she replied. "It's not a very good reason, is it? There's no philosophical journey to nirvana or any of that self-worth schtick."

Huey shrugged. "Don't care. Good enough for me. I got no problem retraining you, McKenzie. Your arm looks really messed up though."

Unhooking the harness, she flexed her fingers. "I remember you having a very good recovery time. You never taught me that."

"That's because there is no art to recovery. Just common sense," Huey contemplated the ceiling. "Bunk up, McKenzie. I want that arm in working condition before we get to work."

A week had passed. All things considered, Huey wanted her to recuperate a bit more before helping her move past this 'plateau' Chad had sworn she could never pass. Her old mentor tested her arm and then ordered her to show all of her wounds.

"I don't care if you're a girl," he said calmly when she raised an eyebrow and started taking off her shirt. "this is business. You know that."

Chad knew where to hit if the diagram Huey wrote up was any indication after examining her torso. "He's been after your sides because he knows they're tender, so he's been after those first. Then your neck. You're not protecting it. You're better off getting a roundhouse kick to the face than the neck. At least you won't break it."

She patted the spiraling bruise on her neck and sighed, feeling like a dope in her undershirt. "He's also been grabbing at my kicks because he knows I use them to move. Then he pins me."

"Do you struggle?" Rachel nodded. Huey propped his hands on his hips, disappointed. "Don't struggle. If you're beat, stay down."

She didn't believe his words and she regretted it later when Huey completely took her down during a practice round. Despite her sides burning from his swift punches, she tried to stand back up only to have his boot come down on her back and force her back down.

"Let me ask you something, McKenzie," he said over her. "You're no Superman, so why are you trying to kill yourself proving that wrong? Every time you get up, you're going to get bounced, and then you've got more bruises to take care of, extending your recovery time. Keep fighting with less recovery time and you eventually mess up your weakened body permanently. Then you won't be able to fight at all."

Was she really overexerting herself? Huey continued to make her eat the floor until her stubbornness gave way, so she could only lay there and reflect. Her body was getting stronger fighting, but her durability was growing weaker in comparison.

"Treat your body like glass, McKenzie," Huey said and lifted his foot off of her back. "You'll be more conscious of how many hits you can take and know when to fold them to fight another day. You only fight to the end when you're looking to _die_."

But Chad doesn't treat himself like that. Huey rolled his eyes at her remark. "Then I guess that means you've got something learned over that guy. You want to beat him at his own game? You know exactly what to do."

Her eyes shot open in realization and slowly turned onto her back to gaze up at her teacher. "I think... I'm done for today."

Huey smirked.

The art of pacing was underrated, even to Chad, which made Rachel's spiritual journey to butt-kicking all the more sweeter. Her battles with Huey was an upscale climb of checks and balances, deciding whether to take the hit or take the fall. Either way, she pushed against that plateau, determined to break through it and stop Chad before he started going through his entire fanbase waiting for her to get stronger.

Let him wait. Or don't at all. Either way, she was going to come out stronger than ever and he'll start to regret screwing with her.

"You keep saying Numbuh 274 isn't a monster," Huey told her breathlessly in the middle of their battle. He blocked her kick with his arms and held his ground strongly until she had no choice but to pull back and try again, "but it sounds like he's got no one to surpass, so he's become _dangerous_ unchecked."

Rachel hopped on the railing over the second floor and nearly fell over when he tossed a chair at her and dodged. "He's bored too," she panted.

"That's even worse." Huey grunted and tackled her over the railing. She landed on the sofa down below and kept herself prone until Huey jumped away, feigning defeat. He brushed himself off waiting for her to gain her bearings and flip after him. "There's nothing more dangerous than a bored son of a bitch. They don't train your Kids Next Door right?"

She frowned. "They're just kids."

"So are _we,_ " he said dryly and raised his fists for another attack on her end. "That doesn't stop us from taking on people looking to give us an ass whooping. Either you're challenged, or you _retire_. Simple as that."

* * *

"Don't see what's the big deal!" Numbuh 12 chirped to her friends before the exhibition fight with her Supreme Leader. "It's actually kinda fun fighting him! _And_ I'm getting a good workout to boot!"

"He's going easy on you," one of her friends teased. "Maybe he likes you." They all giggled.

 _No, not really_ , Rachel thought. He was making a mockery of his own operatives playing around like this. It couldn't be more of an insult if Numbuh 12 knew he was treating her like someone not worth an inch of his strength.

Rachel kept to the back, hoodie up and leaning against Abby as the crowd grew with each passing minute. Abby smirked. "So, who did you hang out with last month? Because your physical just passed when it shouldn't be possible."

"An old friend," she murmured and kept herself hidden. "He knocked some sense into me."

Abby snorted. "He usually does."

Chad didn't even tie his hands up which made Rachel shake her head. This was a complete game to him, no worse, a sham. He didn't need any precautions because he already knew his opponents weren't the effort.

It was time he started taking things seriously. A challenge he was long overdue for.

Numbuh 12 danced on the mat and Chad dodged every single one of her hits with an easiness that excited the crowd, but only served to annoy Rachel for every waste of a punch. This wasn't a battle. This was a _ballet recital_.

"Is that all?" she asked aloud once the applause died down. Everyone murmured to themselves, most confused, but there was no one in the gym but the two of them the way her and Chad's eyes locked right then and there. She moved from Abby's side and walked down the path people started to part for her. "Your hands aren't even _wrapped_. Why don't you just pick her up and do a pirouette while you're at it?"

While those blue eyes of his flashed with something akin to amusement, Numbuh 12 stepped forward, insulted. "That's not nice! This is an exhibition match!"

"So you're holding back?" Rachel pushed her hoodie back and had a stare down with the older girl. "If you really want to impress someone, why don't you fight for real? Because Numbuh 274 isn't even breaking a sweat."

"You think you can do better?"

"Yeah. Let's go." Hopping over the barrier of wires wrapped in protective padding, she pulled off her hoodie and tossed it aside, moving in an undershirt and loose athletic pants. The crowd around them started to cheer which pressured Numbuh 12 to start circling her newest opponent and prove her salt for once.

Someone sounded a whistle and Rachel moved swiftly first. Numbuh 12 didn't even see her coming when Rachel jumped in the air and dropped kicked her right in the chest.

"I wasn't ready!" Numbuh 12 whined from her place on the mat, but this wasn't a game and there were no rules in battle. Not until the whistle sounded or your opponent surrendered.

Rachel wondered if that was Chad's whole problem when she tackled Numbuh 12 and started to tumble her around like an animal, punching at her sides. The lack of challenge and force of restraint could drive a person crazy. The older girl screamed in pain, but Rachel was relentless until the sound of the whistle and she jumped back, still coiled and ready for a counterstrike.

"Are you crazy?!" One of Numbuh 12's teammates called out, loyally climbing over the barrier to defend her. "You're playing too rough!"

Chad stood back, dangerously smug, when Rachel attacked the lot of them, everything fair game on the mat. She uppercut the first one and then used the second operative's head as a stepping stone to side kick the third in the face.

"NOW WE'RE TALKING!" Wally shouted in the sidelines, punching his own palm. "NONE OF THIS NINNY CRUD! GET 'EM NUMBUH 362!"

Numbuh 12 wasn't done. Angry and bleeding from her split lip, she came at Rachel from behind, forcing her to flip back onto the mat to dodge her punch and jump back up to elbow her in the chest.

That was when Chad jumped into the fray and grabbed her wrist before she finished off Numbuh 12. "Easy there," he warned in his Supreme Leader voice, but his eyes told a different story. He was begging for more.

So she obliged and kicked him in the chest. "Watch it," she spat and smirked. "Don't make me hold back."

 _"When you fight for real, you don't see a person,"_ Huey had told her. _"You see an enemy. Holding back is going to kill you if the other guy's free from that influence."_

He had been holding back on her like he was holding back on Numbuh 12 because she wasn't of worth. But he's injured Rachel to the point of crippling. So what did that make her?

She never saw Chad as an enemy, or a monster. She saw him as her Supreme Leader and that was the problem. So her punches never really connected and she never injured him as much as she would have if he had been a real enemy.

But he had. And when he started wearing her out, he...

_I've been holding back._

Jumping smoothly to his feet, Chad glared down at Rachel, his words soft enough to be meant only for her. "Come back to play again, are you?"

"No. The kid gloves are off. And you're going to regret pushing me to this," she replied.

While Numbuh 12 and a good few others whined and moaned on the mat, Chad started his turn of circling her, looking her up and down. "The one time I allow you to eat meatball sandwiches and you don't," he teased. "What have you been doing the last few weeks?"

"Learning to kick your ass," she retorted and twisted into his personal space. Long since anticipating Rachel's style to dodge and run instead of engaging, he didn't expect her to start pounding away at his sides with her fists and he doubled back, flipping over one of the operatives to gain some distance.

"Heh," he rubbed at his sides and suppressed a wince, "you changed your technique."

Her gaze steady, she started chasing after him again. "Nope. Just got a little more smarter!" She was relentless, treating Chad less like a Supreme Leader and more of an enemy that needed to be taken down at all cost. Because that was Chad's secret with her all along.

This time he was on the defensive from her flying kicks and punches until he was forced to bear down and used his own strength as a barrier.

Good. She was going to whittle his energy down. Because that was what was wrong with Numbuh 274 and she had promised to take care of his monstrous behind. "You're holding back, sir!" she punctuated with each punch. "Is this what the great Numbuh 274 has to offer?"

The crowd whooped and cheered while their Supreme Leader had to protect his face and snarl. He spun around, breaking her momentum, and sucker punched her in the stomach. She drew her stomach muscles taut before the hit, but it still knocked the wind out of her, enough for him gain ground and reach for her.

Dancing around like she did before wasted energy. That was what he was hoping for. Instead she grabbed him by the arm and tried to bend it, risking a kick to her side in the process, but to her advantage, he couldn't grab a hold of her and use her weight against her. She twisted around his arm and judo chopped him in his lower back at the cost of him punching her face in the process.

They both stumbled away from each other. Rachel tripped over Numbuh 12 while Chad fell against the wire barriers, gritting his teeth from the pain racing up his spine.

She had too much adrenaline in her to process where she was injured though her head started to throb. Her problem had been ignoring the limits of her body so, despite Chad still moving towards her, she turned onto her back on the mat and centered herself, letting the adrenaline sink away with a few calming breaths until pain hit her in numerous places.

_Never go beyond your limit. It'll only screw you over in the long run. Take the beating and grow from it the next time._

Rachel opened her eyes and found Chad towering over her with a bloody nose and a black eye. He pulled back, ready to finish off his opponent, until she raised her hand up in surrender. "That's it." Chad had caused far more damage to himself than Rachel had. That was the balance she was looking for.

They were like magic words. His fingers shifted away from a fist and the beastly look in his eyes quelled, satiated from the no holds barred beat-down however short. The crowd cheered and Rachel let the medics swarm them. For once, she didn't black out from the pain.

* * *

People started avoiding her afterwards. Despite showing nothing but calm professionalism after that day, even those that weren't in attendance overheard Numbuh 362 going batshiz crazy on five whole operatives, including the Supreme Leader, in some show of alpha female aggression. That hadn't exactly been the response she was looking for and she was starting to wish she just had fought Chad in private like usual.

But Numbuh 12 and the others had really pissed her off, belittling the many months battling her buns off just because Chad was playing with the lot of them. Apparently she was the only girl in this Zero-forsaken Moonbase that had any Whooper balls to actually go toe-to-toe with a legendary operative seriously and live to tell the tale. Someone had to tell the poor girls that their place was off the mat and back to playing Rainbow Monkeys.

Numbuh 274 was _her_ battle partner.

"Congrats," someone purred from behind. Callused fingers ran up from the base of her neck to the side of her temple where an extremely ugly bruise discolored her forehead there. She flinched, only a bit, and let Chad slip into her personal space like he belonged there without comment.

"You planned this," she murmured, watching random operatives see her and then turn back around in fear. The warm fingers disappeared and was replaced with something cold and wet. She instantly grabbed the ice pack and sighed, letting it seep into her bruise. Licking wounds, indeed. He got what he wanted.

Chad slid against her side and then winced when she grabbed his lower back where she injured him and squeezed in warning. "I didn't plan anything. You did," his smile was dark and infectious, "when you turned into an animal and took what you wanted."

"I didn't want this," she hissed under her breath, shivering as water started to leak from the ice pack and down her jaw. "Now they're afraid of me."

Leaning into her, she could feel his hot breath against her cheek, chasing away the cold droplets before pressing his cracked split lips against her ear. "That's right," he purred. "You're a monster. Just like _me_."


	4. 04

It was a very humiliating walk back to their offices. After a grueling workout in the off-hours, (why Chad was so adamant about nightly battles was beyond Rachel's current understanding at the moment), they had accidentally left their trusty first aid kit in his office.

Looking bloodied and beat up wouldn't do much for crew morale, that was for sure. To be fair, he had the most cosmetic damage around his face than she did. She had a sinking feeling he kept avoiding her face for personal aesthetic purposes.

Jerk.

They wordlessly retreated to his office and began the late night ritual. She took her usual spot perched on his desk while he moved around the open first aid kit with easy familiarity. Ladies get fixed up first was his 'gentlemanly' policy.

At this point, his touch didn't bother her as much. She didn't flinch when he gently pulled up her bruised leg and ran his hand up the pant leg feeling for any strain or injury on her calf the further he pushed the fabric up. It was almost soothing how careful he was off the battlefield.

"Nothing here?" he asked smoothly, leaning back in his chair when she shook her head and felt around her bare ankle. Her leg twitched under his fingers, but not of pain which made him smirk that stupid smirk. He found _another_ one of her ticklish spots.

"Don't you dare," she warned, letting the weariness seep through her voice to drive the point home. He chuckled and continued to check her leg for any further injuries before moving to the other one.

This time she let out a faint hiss when his fingers brushed the inside of her thigh. She had forgotten he had kicked her there earlier.

"There it is," he purred and held her leg with one hand while fishing for an ice pack. "I was wondering what was making you waddle going up the Leda Deck."

She sniffed indignantly. "I didn't 'waddle'-ahhh!" Biting her bottom lip, she nearly twisted out of his grip and knocked a few things off her Supreme Leader's desk when he pressed the pack there. "O-ow! Pull it out!"

"Don't be such a baby," Chad purred and pressed the pack further against the bruise which earned him another groan of pain from her end. "You should have been used to it by now anyways. We've been doing the same dance for months now."

" _Gentle_ is key," she said in protest, "but I forgot you don't have that in your vocabulary." She stiffened when the hand on her thigh tickled downwards and fought the urge to let out a bark of laughter.

He raised an eyebrow and drawled, "You're spewing lies even when we're alone. I like that."

She didn't want to admit that he was right here. This was a foreign thing, letting someone not a medical professional touch her body for any injuries, especially one who made the action very intimate. It was a world first for her. Doubly so when it's the guy that caused the injuries in the first place.

Why was he so brutal engaged in battle, but sweet in recovery? Something didn't add up. "Do you usually lock your opponents in your office and treat their injuries like this?"

"Only the _cute_ ones," his voice deepened in amusement, "and I only lock it so they can't escape."

"At least you're honest," she snorted, hiding the trill of goosebumps riding up the back of her neck. Enclosed spaces worried her and he knew that, used it to his advantage many times the past year.

After he wrapped her leg up he turned her on her stomach to check her back. That was when she took a good look at the contents of his desk to keep her distracted from the fingers exploring the skin under her shirt. "You don't have much personal items."

"Elaborate," he said softly, pressing into a bundle of muscles in her lower back that were drawn taut from his punch earlier. He purposefully pushed his thumb deep into the tightness, attempting to loosen the muscles, which earned him a suppressed groan from his XO. If she could look over her shoulder, she maybe would have stopped the whole thing altogether. His smile was ravenous the more she squirmed under his grip.

Rachel let out a shuddering breath, not expecting him to _massage_ her, for Zero's sake. "I mean... you don't have pictures. Don't like your family or something?"

"That's an understatement," he said in a rare moment of openness and, palm down, started to knead the tight flesh there. She stiffened under him. "The more you freak out, the longer it's going to take me to fix you," he warned and she took a deep breath before forcing herself to relax.

Folding her arms underneath her, she rested her chin on them, straightening out her back further which earned her a grateful rubdown for the compromise. "Tell me about your parents," she murmured sleepily, suppressing another moan when those fingers found another kink between her shoulder blades. For a jerk, he had such a nice touch for massages.

There was a pause in his ministrations and she knew he was thinking hard in her lethargic state of mind before he returned to his task. He lifted up her shirt more to get access to more skin, but at this point she didn't care the slightest of her modesty.

"They're just parents," he said dismissively, no doubt enjoying the way she curled her back for him when he pressed the right way. "Overbearing, coddling, looking out for number one."

"Ah, they care about Uno too, do they?" Rachel teased, but it seemed to be a joke in bad taste. She forced down a whimper when he very nearly climbed on top of her, adding a not-so uncomfortable weight into her.

His breath was suddenly hot against her neck. "Talk about Uno again and I may have to do something unforgivable." And just like that, his stifling presence retreated and those hands returned.

Except the air seemed to dip in temperature, which was impossible for a temperature neutral environment like Moonbase. "I can't talk to you!" she said angrily. He forced her back down when she tried to struggle up using her elbows. "I always feel like you're one step away from throttling me again!"

"Good instincts," Chad growled out after a moment. "It's just your mouth that needs to catch up with it." He flipped her back over and, sliding her down his desk, he crawled on top of her once more and kissed her before she could retort back.

Rachel twisted her head away for a moment in utter exasperation, breaking the kiss before her insides melted. He always, always had a way of lowering her guard before he could successfully pounce. "And why do you _always_ pick kisses in our bets?"

"If it isn't obvious to you, I'm not going to dignify a response," he said shortly before bearing his teeth down on her for the next round of lip-on-lip contact. That earned him a good punch in the jaw for biting.

* * *

She didn't really need to heckle Chad about his home life since it came in the form of Mega Mom and Destructo Dad a week later.

They hit the Canadian sectors first. Rachel ended up sitting on her Supreme Leader's throne as per her duties as second-in-command while Chad had some kind of football practice going on today. All communications to Sector CA and it's surrounding Canadian operatives went silent an hour ago. Then the west coast of the US and then downward.

That was when visual confirmation came in the form of a 2x4 drone overseeing the missed transmissions. Global Command came to a standstill as they saw operatives unresponsive and covered in a strange glowing ice formation, their eyes blue and blank.

Before she could send out other sectors to deal with the threat, there had been a breach on the loading docks and Rachel could do nothing but issue an emergency lockdown before their new enemy reached the heart of Moonbase and disabled all communications in the process.

When she called Numbuh 274 he sounded extremely breathless. "Let me guess," he said in mid-pant, "treehouses going dark?"

"Worse, sir," she said through the audio feed. "Whatever is taking down our operatives has arrived on Moonbase. We're on lockdown."

There was a pause. "No one messes with my Moonbase!" he snarled. "I'm on my way."

"Denied," Rachel replied. "You won't be able to get through the lockdown anyways. It'll be much safer for you to find the nearest sector in your vicinity and..."

That was when the power failed them. Everything, including the overhead lights, dimmed to darkness.

The impenetrable shutters threw themselves up from the lack of power and bright jettisons of blue and violet light shot around them. Some operatives were caught in the crossfire in an explosion of radioactive ice.

Rachel grabbed her weapon and started firing for cover. "THEY'RE TOO STRONG! EVERYONE TO THE ESCAPE PODS ASA-NOW!" The emergency lights kicked on in the middle of the firefight, revealing a 50's styled mom with a gigantic animatronic head.

"What an uncouth bunch of children!" the woman shrilled and started firing ice from her fingers. "Oh! This must be where number 274 sits, isn't it?" she gestured to the throne and Rachel perched behind the arm.

She knew Numbuh 274. "Don't touch my operatives!" she shouted and fired mustard at the villain.

"Oh! Now that's no way to treat an adult, young lady!" Mega Mom said loudly, wagging a finger at her when the yellow condiment splashed on her dress. That was when she caught a glance at the codename on Rachel's helmet. "3-6-2? You look extremely familiar."

"Here, let me jog your memory!" Rachel yelled, jumped into the air and dropkicked the woman.

"Need a hand, honey?" A mechanical sounding male said before a shot of ice hit Rachel in the arm before she could deal the finishing blow on Mega Mom.

Unable to stay behind for the trapped operatives, Rachel's espionage instincts kicked in. She jumped off the Global deck to the Leda Deck down below and made them chase after her, hoping her operatives would use this distraction to escape.

She turned and hid in the corner, feeling up her encased arm. It was weird, not exactly unpleasant, but her arm was unresponsive, as if numbed.

Another shot snapped past her and grazed her on the side. She howled and jumped out of her hiding place, finding herself face-to-face with the menacing duo disguised as... _parents_.

Chad would probably punish her for getting captured so easily. She smacked her encased arm against the wall and, surprisingly enough, it started to crack. "Okay," she smirked dangerously, looking from her arm to the villains. "I can work with this."

"Don't you-" Mega Mom started, only to get smacked in the head with Rachel's popsicled arm. She went flying over the deck.

Destructo Dad wasn't amused. "Now see here, young lady! It's not nice to attack your eldAHHH!" She roundhouse kicked him in the face and punched the floor on her descent, causing the ice to shatter from the force. Her knuckles bled in return, but it was nothing compared to getting her arm back.

Flipping backwards behind a panel, she dodged the flurry of ice after her before it was safe to cartwheel off and charge at them. "GET OFF OF MY MOONBASE!" she howled and weaved between the blasts befitting the battle partner of Numbuh 274.

Her momentum carried when she kicked the top of a railing to gain air above the blasts and over Mega Mom and Destructo Dad's heads, dropkicking one before trying to spin kick at the other, only for her leg to be caught in Mega Mom's grip. Ice raced up the limb.

"I know that move!" Mega Mom said happily as she slowly started to freeze Rachel all over. "Oh, honey! I think this is the one Chad-dear is hiding from us!"

_Chad-dear?!_ Rachel yelped when Mega Mom pulled her up by the leg, leaving her dangling and powerless.

Destructo Dad examined her, rubbing his fingers underneath his giant chin that reminded her vaguely of Chad when he scrutinized a difficult problem in tactics. "You're right, dear! She looks exactly like the pictures on his wall!"

_Pictures?!_

Half of her body was encased in ice by the time they set her back down. Mega Mom started trying to dust at her hair while she struggled. "Number 362 was it? You must let us invite you to dinner sometime! We'd love to hear all about our baby's girlfriend!"

Rachel wanted to choke on her own tongue.

* * *

"I beat up your parents," she told him dryly later in the evening, "and then they invited me to _dinner_."

They soon left Moonbase in defeat when Rachel kept her silence throughout their 'interrogation', too pissed off that not only did she fail in protecting the base, but apparently Chad had more than a few skeletons in his closet.

After Chad forced his parents to unfreeze everyone back on Earth, he ordered them incarcerated after fixing everyone on Luna. He was still spitting out expletives befitting his age and was in a sour mood all through the processing. Rachel decided dry humor was in order, with mixed results.

Chad lounged back in his seat, his uniform still frazzled and his complexion still covered in dirt and cuts. His mother begged him to take a bath before she got shipped off to Arctic Prison. It was safe to say he wasn't going to take his mother's advice anytime soon. "Tell me," he said instead, idly clicking his pen, "what kind of tattoo should I get?"

" _Tattoo?_ Is that what you threatened your parents with?"

"I don't threat, I _do_ ," he growled, the clicking of his pen moving faster. "They should know better than mess with my affairs."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "They're your _parents_." She flinched in surprise when she was given an extremely ugly glare, his body coiled and ready to jump over his desk and get her should she move the wrong way. "What's your damage?"

"They could have ruined my reputation," he spat. "They deserve everything they get. _Everything_." The pen in his hand started to glow and, with horror, she witnessed the pen ignite in ice. "No one's going to keep me from what I've fought tooth and nail for."

She opened her mouth, but then closed it when those glowing blue and violet eyes zeroed in on her face, preferably her lips. "I'm just gonna let you cool down with your... what this... I don't know, _powers_?" Intelligence was going to have a field day about this.

Rachel barely left her seat when a burst of energy grazed her cheek and hair. It ended up encasing the door in ice behind her. "Sir... please," she said cautiously, "if someone finds out..."

"Who's going to find out?" he said softly, walking around his desk like a caged lion spotting prey. "There's only one person who knows what I'm capable of. I'll _know_ who if it gets leaked."

Rachel started to stumble back until he slashed his hand down and froze her boots to the floor. She held her palms up in defense, unable to use her famous speed as an advantage. "Numbuh 274... _stop_ okay? I won't tell anyone."

There was just something in the way he looked at her with those unnatural eyes that made him look like a literal monster instead of just acting like one. He kept moving until her palms hit his chest and looked down at her. She found herself unable to tear away from his gaze and started to shake.

"I'm serious," she stuttered out, curling her fingers into his armor in a desperate bid for him to get a hold of himself. "Don't give yourself away!" If Intelligence suddenly checked on their secret video feed, seen the ice around their Supreme Leader's office, she was sure Chad would do much more than try to escape.

He'd probably raze the very base to the ground in ashes than leave it under someone else.

The safety of the KND calling to her like a siren's song, she pulled his armor down and kissed him, praying to Zero that it was enough to distract him. "I won't tell anyone, I swear," she breathed against his unresponsive lips. "You know this. I won't break my word. You _know_ this!"

His hands were still unnaturally cold when they ran up her sides, over her shoulders, until they finally found their place grasping her neck and jaw. She could feel ice start to creep up against her cheek and uncomfortably encase the tips of her hair, but she didn't relent, praying that he was just playing with her instead of stupefying her into oblivion for her silence.

Fear gripped her when the tips of her bangs started to freeze, so she bit him hard on the lower lip in a desperate bid to distract him. He flinched under her kiss, paused, and then bit back in earnest until it became something of a demented tug-o-war between them. Using _kisses_.

Zero help her.

"You're still warm," he finally muttered, thumb brushing against her abused bottom lip. "That's new."

She didn't understand, but he was talking and once again, she succeeded the impossible with her exceptional skill in diplomacy. The cold glow of Chad's eyes faded away along with the ice in the room. Eventually the ice around her legs too faded into nothingness until only the ice around her neck and face remained.

"You look beautiful like this," he purred, curling his fingers through her frozen hair and lifting her face up to him. "So desperate and afraid. Now you just need to look at me like you love me."

The words spilled out before she could even catch it. "It's better to be feared than loved."

"He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation," he recited fondly. "Machiavelli accepts ruling by criminality."

She sighed a bit when he moved his lips to the side of her face and nuzzled her jaw. Today was _exhausting_. "He also accepts ruling by self virtue."

"Keep talking," he purred, the ice receding completely. "It's been such a long time since I talked to someone with a full brain."

She was more interested in what kind of incriminating pictures he had of her in his bedroom, but beggars supposedly can't be choosers.


	5. 05

The radio played whatever kid tunes when she trained in public, (most of the time it being the Rainbow Monkey theme song on repeat), but in private a very angry young rapper spat out rhymes that flowed with her steps while she danced underneath the singular light attacking her dance partner in the form of a punching bag. Faster, stronger, smarter, she imagined 274 against the punching bag and worked up a sweat getting him in the abdomen, the sides, and everywhere until she fell into that strange hypnotism where she felt nothing but the stinging of her knuckles and the sound of her heavy breathing.

Nothing mattered but the next hit.

"It's called 'the _zone_ '," Chad had said from his perch on the mat earlier. He had stopped exercising a long time ago just to watch her as usual. His breathing was calm and his eyes were solely on her form, drinking in every punch, every bounce she made around the floor while she pretended to dodge hits from an invisible opponent. "You should see yourself as I see you now. Utter perfection. Dangerous. Invincible."

Was she really? Rachel wiped the sweat from her brow and gazed seriously at the punching bag; the memory of Chad's words last night rolling through her like a tangled web she always tried to pry apart and separate. This bag was heavier and more sturdy than the kiddy ones because it was designated for the rare heavy hitters like Numbuh 4 or Numbuh 719 and, of course, Numbuh 274.

She poked the bag with a finger, realizing that no matter how hard she worked at it, she hardly got it to move. It was frustrating seeing as she was working up some actual upper body strength the last month and a half. Her limbs were toned and sturdy, enough that it was starting to bother her teachers in prep. _'A lady does not gain muscle,'_ they had said before hitting her on the head with their rulers, _'only a slight supple frame.'_

"You go to Kendall Prep, don't you?"

Aware that her 'zone' moment was shot from the interruption, she labored her breathing and allowed herself a moment of calm before addressing the young operative behind her.

The little girl was blushing hotly, a letter clutched in her fingers. She thrusted it in Rachel's direction, much to her curiousness. "Can you... can you give this to Numbuh 274 please?"

Ah, another love letter. Suppressing a weary sigh, she politely took it and played secretary once more. Rachel had long since accepted that the second-in-command role to a charismatic, good-looking leader will always have to be Cupid's messenger to his giggling fanbase.

On the plus side. she's learned the art of the _straight face_ from it. If his grin got any more smug when she delivered him his daily bag of fanmail, it would probably be permanent.

"Wait... why did you ask about where I go to school?" Rachel blinked. If this was just a love letter, she could just deliver it to the office directly.

The girl already had a viable excuse for that. One that seemed _suspiciously_ well-rehearsed. "It's not meant for the KND, sir. My sister goes to Kendall Prep and I guess she's got a crush on one of the upperclassmen there. That's when I found out the boy she was crushing on was the Supreme Leader. She made me take the stupid letter, sorry."

Chad went to Kendall Prep like her? Her eyebrow climbed when she turned the letter in her fingers. She didn't even know that he went to the same school as her. Surely she should have come across him at least once there?

The Supreme Leader's office was locked when she returned from her shower. The keypad was marked as _Do Not Disturb_ , so Rachel instead busied herself looking through the last year's Kendall Prep's yearbook, finding a name and familiar face in the pages. The letter lay forgotten on the corner of her office desk.

There he was. Her mouth parted in surprise when she leaned forward to get a good look at his yearbook picture, completely in disbelief. There was Chad Dickson in Kendall Prep's uniform, tidy and perfect. Instead of the infamous sweep of blond hair over his eyes, it was slicked back which explained why she probably didn't recognize him in the first place. Those electric blue eyes still burned into her, even more so than usual.

No way. She started searching for more pictures of him in the activities section, finding him sharing a cold smile with the other mute socialites in the _Honors Society_ page, the _Young High Society's Society_ , the _Youth Leadership Council_ , and a few solo pictures of him as a lead in drama club or playing in a violin recital.

Kendall Prep politics never really caught her fancy since she already led a double, sometimes triple life as a KND spy. But now she was regretting not considering that other KND students could have gone to the same school as her. Most of all being the monster _himself_. Despite damning evidence, she couldn't be fully at fault here. It wasn't like Chad approached her at school or anything or said, _"Hey, since we have such a weird violent relationship, you want to go get a nice hot cup of cocoa in the Kendall cafeteria? You didn't know we went to the same school? Isn't that just dandy?!"_

Rachel tried not to laugh at the mental imagery. Now she _really_ wanted to see him at school, if not for her amusement. Maybe he didn't know she went to Kendall as well. Glancing at the unopened letter, she drummed her fingers on the spine of the yearbook before deciding on handing it to him at school as an excuse.

It was completely flawless.

* * *

Her shoulder bag kept bumping into Harvey and she ended up laughing when he started to violently bat at it while trying to pull at his tie at the same time. When they finally approached the gleaming gothic-styled gate entrance to Kendall Prep, Rachel knelt and smacked Harvey's twitching fingers away. "Okay, now it's getting annoying. Hold still."

To his credit, he didn't flip out when she undid their mother's horrible work and loosened the knot before it strangled him before lunch.

"I hate uniforms!" Harvey whined. "They don't get to wear them in _Gallagher!_ "

Rachel's lips twisted down, sharing the sympathy. "Yeah, but Gallagher's a public school. They don't have to." The perks of being upper class had both its ups and downs. It would be nice to move from an impersonal private school to a place where a good number of KND operatives stuck together in. They just had to make due.

She brushed her hands together at her handiwork and then opened her arms. "Now, how about giving your super big sister a hug!"

Harvey instantly recoiled. "Ew! Noooo, I don't wanna!" That was when she used her secret weapon: she jutted out her bottom lip and gave him her best pout. He sniffed angrily and folded his arms, but eventually he caved. "Okay, okay! One stupid hug!"

"It's not stupid!" she laughed and squeezed the daylights out of her baby brother who whined and squeaked when some of his friend passed by to point and laugh at him. "Have a good day in class, Haaaaarvey! And don't pull Cynthia's pigtails anymore! I know you like her, but pulling her hair to get her attention is just going to make her more angry with you."

He shoved himself out of her arms. "How do you know that?!"

"I know everything," she pulled away and winked. "Because I'm your cool big sister."

Well, it was more like KND Intelligence but Harvey wasn't aware of her cred there and, playfully shoving him past the gate, didn't notice a figure leaning against the cool shadow of the gate who had watched them quietly the whole time.

The first person she asked was her class president, who she rubbed shoulders with from time to time in mandatory choir.

"Chad Dickson?" Amanda blinked. "Yeah, I've heard of him. He's one of the upperclassmen. Why do you ask?"

Rachel rolled her eyes at the peculiar look Amanda was giving her. "I'm not stalking the guy. I just have a delivery for him. So, I'd like a copy of his class schedule and his usual routes to and from said classes."

"Sounds like stalking to me," one of the girls giggled from her desk. "Must be a very important package."

Amanda had been unable to obtain the records, but she did hint that he spent time with the Honors Society during lunch.

She couldn't believe he was there, talking with his fellow honor roll students like he's done it for years, and yet she had never seen him until now. With the letter at hand, she made her way over, ignoring the stares the upperclassmen were giving her until Chad finally looked up after finishing a punchline to a joke. The laughter tapered off when she approached.

Those eyes flickered to her, but they didn't register her at all like usually. "Did you want something?" he asked with a cold politeness befitting his status. There were no trace of that insipid smirk or that tell-tale lean of his she attributed him with as her Supreme Leader.

The words died on her lips. It couldn't be the same person. "Chad?" she inquired with a neutral smile. It wasn't... it seemed as if he was acting in-character for something. The warning bells in her head devoted to her former spy work started firing on all cylinders.

"Do I know you?" he raised an eyebrow and this time his friends started to fall silent, all of them judging her with their staring.

Abby said that in Gallagher, being KND operatives were commonplace so there was no need for pretending they didn't know each other. Her hopeful smile failing, she started to wish she went to Gallagher instead than knowing that cold smile would be the only thing she knew Chad Dickson of outside of work.

Because Chad seemed more inclined to wish she didn't exist. "Here," she said and offered him the letter. "Someone wanted to give this to you."

He looked at the letter with mild disgust. "Sorry, I don't do love letters. And I don't date little girls." Some of his friends snickered.

"How do you know she's a little girl?" Rachel demanded, her frown now in full-force. He may be pulling some sort of con, but she was Rachel McKenzie at Kendall Prep. No smoke and mirrors. "You shouldn't just treat other people's feelings like trash."

Chad laughed. "Hit a nerve, did I? Bet the letter's from you and you're just trying to save face. I totally get it. Here's a tip in case you slept through your etiquette class: walk away gracefully before you make a bigger idiot of yourself."

"Gladly," she snarled and tossed the letter right into his pudding. "I hope you never reply back to the poor girl's letter, Dickson. She deserves someone with better class." A rush of people 'oohing' around them didn't faze her the slightest. She turned on her heel and started to walk away, then stopped.

"Oh, and go sit on a cactus," she parted over her shoulder. Whether he was playing a double agent or not, he never told her about it, never _warned_ her; and as his second-in-command, she had never felt more insulted or hurt in her entire life. "I don't want to talk to you ever again!"

"Sounds good to me, cutie pie," Chad shot back with a grin, eliciting an explosion of laughter around him that only fueled the speed of Rachel's exit. What a tool. And really, was she really surprised the slightest?

* * *

She found herself pacing one of the empty classrooms, resisting the urge to punch anything other than Chad's smug face and ended up kicking a desk before sitting on top of the surface, trying to find her calm center.

He didn't deserve her anger or the tears threatening to prick around her eyes. No, she supposed that they couldn't have what like Sector V had in Gallagher. Sector V were all still friends in and out of the KND and, in return, it's possible they could still remain friends that way when they're decommissioned.

Once she got her emotions under control, she closed her eyes relaxed her shoulders, wondering why she was this upset. She and Chad weren't friends, just co-workers and battle partners. That's it.

Really, she should have expected this from the get-go.

"You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?" An extremely familiar voice said before the door squeaked shut and locked. "I thought they taught you something about not blowing an agent's cover in Intelligence."

"Go away," Rachel said calmly, refusing to open her eyes and have him ruin her attempt at meditation. "I said I don't want to talk to you anymore."

She could hear Chad visibly snort and approach her. "Shut up. You have a lot of nerve approaching me today. And all for a stupid letter." Something noisily hit the trash which she assumed was the letter in question. She took another deep breath in through her nose and exhaled a steady stream from her mouth. Huey would have been proud of the control she had at the moment.

All in all, she preferred the mean brawler with the fringe of hair over his eyes who led the KND with an iron, but effective fist. "You never even told me you were undercover," she growled. "All this time you were here and you never once said a thing! We go to the same _school_ for Zero's sake!"

"Ah, are you sad that we aren't school chumps like the little sheep in Gallagher?" he sounded so conceited, she gripped the sides of the desk in anger to avoid jumping off and punching him. "My life doesn't always revolve around you, McKenzie."

"Noted. Now go away."

But when has Chad ever really respected her wishes? She wasn't surprised when felt his presence linger in front of her before his fingers brushed the back strands of her golden hair.

"You have no idea the position you're in," he whispered, causing her to jump when she practically felt his breath seep into her temple. "At the very least, you can be a good girl for me and deal with it."

What in Zero's name was he talking about? She opened her eyes to inquire and instantly regretted it because he immediately grabbed her hair and pulled down until she was forced to bare her neck for him. She got an even better look at this particular Chad Dickson, who acted more like a villain than a KND agent by the way he dragged his mouth from her ear and across her jaw until it barely had any distance to her lips.

She let out a light snarl of pain, but that only served to please him more. "I thought you were the kind of person above pulling a girl's hair for attention."

"If it works, it works," Chad murmured lowly in response. "Playground classics never go out of style."

Rachel was so used to seeing only one of his eyes at a time, she was immediately blown back by seeing both at once now that his bangs were gelled back. It was unsettling to have his full attention like that. She could only stare up, mildly hypnotized before he kissed her again, this time without a bet or prize attached.

Unless telling her off was considered a fight between them. At this point, her mind was doing that usual thing where she couldn't hold a thought because if she remained distracted for too long, Chad tend to do something weird with his kisses like bite or lick her.

Which he _did_. She winced when his teeth started to sink into her bottom lip, but couldn't pull away without him pulling her hair tighter again. The pain became so acute she was sure he was trying to draw blood so she opened her mouth on instinct to complain.

Now she realized why he was biting her in the first place. With a sound of triumph leaving his throat, immediately his tongue slipped in and she gasped, confused and alarmed because it should be extremely gross and it kind of was if someone else just spontaneously did it.

But Chad knew what he was doing. Like on the battlefield, this was just another form of art he was good at and turned her into jelly before she could understand why in the first place.

It was heady, imposing, safe. Like hiding under a blanket from the exposure of darkness where everything was intimate and alive. His grip loosened in her hair, because he was confident she wouldn't run now. Not when she was experiencing her first ever passionate kiss without even realizing it.

She very nearly let out a sigh of content when he pulled away for air and then pulled her back up for a second round, his nearly dark eyes promising an even better experience, when both of their KND communicators rang. Like finding light through a thick haze of fog, Rachel snapped out of it and pushed him off.

"What... what is _wrong_ with you?!" she demanded, half in terror when he ignored his communicator and tried to round on her again. For Zero's sake she could _taste_ him on her lips! "The communicators are ringing, sir!"

"Don't!" he snarled, the irises around his eyes still dilated like an animal. "You're not ending this because of the KND, Rachel! Don't you dare use it to cover up what happened here!"

What happened shouldn't have happened. Even she wasn't as oblivious to it. She pulled out her own communicator and turned away. "Numbuh 362, here." His eyes were boring into her back and she ignored it. At this point, she didn't know what to do with this.

She closed her communicator. "You're needed on Moonbase. Your mole has arrived." When she turned back around, Chad had already closed his own communicator and started messing with his hair.

"Must be Lenny," he said shortly, returning to his Supreme Leader persona already. It instantly calmed her now that the fringe was back. "Which means I need someone to alert Sector V for this mission."

"I've already sent Numbuh 35 after them," she replied and pocketed her communicator. No doubt it had something to do with coffee-related intel that was funneling through her own spy channels this morning. Of course her Supreme Leader didn't tell her anything about it. Shaking her head in disappointment, she tried to pass by when the bell rang, only to be grabbed by the wrist. "I'm not in the mood for another game, Numbuh 274."

He rolled his eyes. "You know why I stopped you."

Yeah, she did. "I won't blow your cover here, whatever it is," Rachel kept her eyes averted and waited for him to let go of her. "We don't know each other except that one instance at lunch and we haven't talked since because you're a raging tool. That work for you?"

"So much for cover bias by a former agent," he teased even when she wasn't in the mood to enjoy it, if she ever did. "if you wanted to hang out with me at school, you should have just said something."

That got her to turn and snap, cheeks red. "I didn't! I was just curious! And that stupid letter!"

"Mmhm."

"I just thought, I dunno, that we could be friends or something outside of the KND. Like the operatives in Gallagher, okay? It's stupid, I get that," Rachel grumbled and roughly pulled away from his grip. "Forget I said anything."

Suffice to say, when she returned to school the next morning, the entire population was a buzz with so much rumor traffic about her and Chad locking themselves in an empty classroom that it reached even _Harvey's_ ears and that was unexcusable.

And with Chad just as popular in Kendall as he was in the KND, Rachel became public enemy number one with most of the girls of all grades.

She could only stand in subdued disbelief as students started to stop and stare, occasionally whisper to their friends and run off. When Chad told her he made 'arrangements' for them to meet up as equals in Kendall without blowing his cover, she expected something different.

They could have been friends, her mentor, a passing _acquaintance_. But he picked this and, really, should she have been surprised at all?

"Hey gorgeous," a tell-tale voice sang. Rachel stiffened when Chad placed an arm coolly around her shoulders, pulled her into his space like she damn well belonged there, and kissed her in front of her future former friends. "Give me your books, cutie pie, and I'll escort you to first period." _So everyone could see and hate you even more._

Shaking with rage, she resisted the urge to shove him away because she couldn't. Chad was undercover and in turn, so was she now.

He pressed his lips against her ear before they walked together into the fancy building of Kendall Prep. "Be careful what you wish for."

* * *

Kendall Prep's famously noisy janitor happily whistled to himself cleaning out the garbage in each classroom. Delighted when he found an unopened letter tumbling into his giant trash bin, he instantly grabbed it and read the name across.

" _Chad Dickson_. Kekeke, must be a love letter!" Snickering, he eagerly tore open the envelope to read it for himself and was crestfallen when he found nothing but an empty page inside.


End file.
